May 23, 2011
BERKELEY -
Freshman Marcin Tarczynski has joined a long list of Golden Bear men's swimmers who have qualified for the World Championships this summer with his efforts at the Polish Nationals last weekend. Tarczynski, from Warsaw, Poland, qualified for World Championships in Shanghai with a first place finish in 100 backstroke (54.82) and 200 individual medley (2:01.31). Both of his times in the 100 back and 200 IM represented FINA "A" cuts. Tarczynski also placed second in the 100 free (50.79) and fifth in the 50 free (23.04).
Since winning the NCAA men's swimming and diving team championship this past March in Minneapolis, Cal swimmers have been focusing on qualifying for the World Championships and World University Games for their respective countries. The World Championships will take place from July 24-31 in Shanghai, China, while the World University Games are scheduled for Aug. 14-19 in Shenzhen, China.
Senior Nathan Adrian - the 2011 NCAA champ in the 50 and 100-yard freestyles - has already secured his spot on the U.S. team for World Championships in the 50 and 100-meter freestyles and the 400-meter free relay. Cal head coach David Durden will serve as a U.S. assistant in Shanghai.
Senior Damir Dugonjic - the NCAA champion in the 100-yard breaststroke - swam in the Canadian Senior National Championships to punch his ticket for worlds in the 50- and 100-meter breaststrokes for Slovenia. Dugonjic swam times of 27.72 and 1:01.41 in the 50 and 100 breaststrokes, respectively, in Victoria, British Columbia, where he placed ninth in the 100 final and ninth in the 50 prelim. The Canadian meet ended on April 2.
The 100 breaststroke B final in Canada featured four Bears -Dugonjic, senior Martti Aljand (10th overall in 1:02.21), junior Martin Liivamagi (11th in 1:02.64) and former Bear Sean Mahoney (12th in 1:03.17). Aljand, competing along with Liivamagi for Estonia, qualified for world in the 100 breast and in the 200 breast (9th in 2:16.38). Liivamagi had already qualified to compete in the 200-meter individual medley at worlds.
Senior Guy Barnea, swimming for Israel, qualified for World Championships in the 50 and 100 backstrokes with times of 25.41 (9th) and 55.05, respectively, in Canada. Barnea set his qualifying time in the 100-back prelim and finished ninth in the final (55.45).
Sophomore Tom Shields, who captured the 100-yard backstroke at NCAAs, has already qualified for the United States' World University Games squad in the 200-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly. He is also slated to swim in the 400-meter free relay.
Canadian freshman Jeremy Bagshaw also swam in the national meet, which served as World Championship trials for Canada. He finished eighth in the 400 free with a time of 4:04.18 and 16th in the 200 free in a time of 1:54.72.
In the South African National Championships, senior Graeme Moore qualified for worlds with a time of 48.80 in the 100-meter free semifinals; he later placed fourth (49.78) in the final. Moore will swim in the 100 free and 100-meter free relay in Shanghai. He also finished third in the 50-meter free (23.00) and took second in the 50 butterfly (24.23) in his country's national meet in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
In World University Games qualifying, junior Mathias Gydesen booked a spot for Denmark by winning the 100-meter backstroke (55.38) on April 2 at the Danish Open in Copenhagen. Senior Nick Ferrif claimed a berth at the World University Games by taking second place in the 50-meter breaststroke (28.72), in the 100 breast (1:01.93) and in the 200 breast (2:17.76) in the New Zealand World Trials that ended on April 8 in Auckland.
